This is a community for people who have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and their friends and family.

Please remember that only a doctor can diagnose you. Instead of making a "could I have EDS post" read the resources provided here first!

NOBODY HERE IS A VERIFIED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. It is best to avoid giving medical advice over the internet in general. Soliciting or giving medical advice is not allowed in this subreddit. Sharing your failures or successes with treatments is fine.

So more and more frequently for the last two or three months or so, my gums have started to bleed when I brush my teeth. For the last 6 months or so I've thought I had bad breath despite no one saying anything; my mouth just tastes funny all the time. If i go one night without wearing my retainers my teeth hurt and feel like they've moved ever so slightly when i put my retainers back in the following night. These symptoms seem to indicate periodontitis. I know EDS puts us at an increased risk for it. I brush my teeth twice a day, use mouth wash, and floss.....occasionally...but overall I'd say my oral hygiene is rather good. I have no cavities.

I was just wondering how many of you guys have it and what the treatment was if you do. I have made an appointment with my dentist to talk about this, but it still has me a bit worried.

I've had periodontitis all my life; there used to be a periodontal classification of EDS before they re-shuffled the types a few years ago, and I had it. I can't remember a time when my gums didn't bleed when I brushed. I lost all of my baby teeth by the time I was 10, and had to have braces for 9 years because the orthodontist was afraid to move my teeth too quickly. Now my gums are receded to a dangerous point, and I'll likely lose most of my teeth within the next 10 years.

Fortunately, my mother is also my dentist. She said that EDS perio isn't very treatable, and that the only thing you can do is delay it a while. Brush your teeth after every meal, floss if you can, and get your teeth cleaned by a dentist once every 3 months.

Yours sounds like it's not as advanced as mine, but I hope this helps anyway.

PS: Showed my mother this post before I hit send; she says to ask your dentist for a perio dose of "doxycycline," a low dose antibiotic for the gums.